Matt Groening facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Matt Groening
Groening in 2024
Born	Matthew Abram Groening (1954-02-15) February 15, 1954 (age 71) Portland, Oregon, U.S.
Alma mater	Evergreen State College (BA)
Occupation	Cartoonist writer producer animator
Years active	1977–present
Notable work	Life in Hell The Simpsons Futurama Disenchantment
Spouse(s)	Deborah Caplan ​ ​ (m. 1986; div. 1999)​ Agustina Picasso ​ (m. 2011)​
Children	11
Parent(s)	Homer Groening (father)
Relatives	Craig Bartlett (brother-in-law)
Awards	Full list
Signature

Matthew Abram Groening (born February 15, 1954) is an American cartoonist, writer, producer, and animator. He is famous for creating the TV shows The Simpsons, Futurama, and Disenchantment. He also created the comic strip Life in Hell. The Simpsons is one of the longest-running TV shows in American history. It is also the longest-running animated series and sitcom.

Groening was born in Portland, Oregon. He sold his first professional cartoon, Life in Hell, in 1978. This comic strip became very popular. It was featured in 250 newspapers each week. A TV producer named James L. Brooks noticed his work. In 1985, Brooks asked Groening to create animated shorts for a TV show. Groening then created the Simpson family. These shorts became so popular that they turned into their own TV series, The Simpsons.

In 1997, Groening and writer David X. Cohen created Futurama. This animated series is about life in the year 3000. It first aired in 1999. The show was later brought back by Comedy Central and then by Hulu. In 2016, Groening developed another new series for Netflix, called Disenchantment. This show started in August 2018.

Groening has won many awards for his work. He has 14 Primetime Emmy Awards. Twelve of these are for The Simpsons and two for Futurama. He also won a British Comedy Award in 2004. In 2012, he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Early Life and Education

Matthew Abram Groening was born on February 15, 1954, in Portland, Oregon. He was the middle child of five. His mother, Margaret, was a teacher. His father, Homer Groening, was a filmmaker, writer, and cartoonist.

Groening grew up in Portland. He went to Ainsworth Elementary School and Lincoln High School. After high school, he attended Evergreen State College in Washington. He described it as a "hippie college" with no grades. He was the editor of the campus newspaper there. Groening graduated in 1977 with a degree in journalism. He became friends with cartoonist Lynda Barry. She was a big inspiration for him.

Career Highlights

Starting Out in Los Angeles

In 1977, when he was 23, Groening moved to Los Angeles. He wanted to become a writer. He worked many different jobs. These included washing dishes, working at a record store, and driving for a movie director.

Life in Hell Comic Strip

Cover of Life in Hell No. 4, published in 1978

Groening started drawing a comic book called Life in Hell. It was about his experiences in Los Angeles. He sold these comics at the record store where he worked. In 1978, he sold his first professional cartoon to Wet magazine.

He then got a job at the Los Angeles Reader newspaper. The editor liked his cartoons and gave him a spot in the paper. Life in Hell officially started as a comic strip in the Reader on April 25, 1980. The comic strip quickly became popular.

In 1984, Groening's girlfriend, Deborah Caplan, helped publish his comics as books. These books, like "Love Is Hell," were very successful. Groening later started his own company to handle his comics. Life in Hell was featured in 250 newspapers. The comic strip ended on June 16, 2012.

Creating The Simpsons

How the Simpsons Family Began

The design of the Simpson family, around 1987

The comic strip Life in Hell caught the eye of producer James L. Brooks. In 1985, Brooks asked Groening to create animated shorts for The Tracey Ullman Show. Groening was worried about losing control of his Life in Hell characters. So, he quickly created a new family: the Simpsons.

He named the main characters after his own family members. Homer and Marge were named after his parents. Lisa and Maggie were named after his younger sisters. He named the oldest child, Bart, which is an anagram of "brat." Groening says his family is not like the Simpsons, except for some sibling rivalry.

From Shorts to a Full Show

The Simpson family first appeared in shorts on The Tracey Ullman Show on April 19, 1987. These shorts were drawn simply. Groening gave basic sketches to the animators, expecting them to improve them. Instead, they just traced his drawings. This gave the characters their unique look. For example, Homer's hairline and ear originally formed Groening's initials, 'M' and 'G'. He later changed the ear to look normal, but still draws it as a 'G' for fans.

The shorts became very popular. This led to a full, half-hour TV series in 1989. The Simpsons premiered on December 17, 1989. It quickly became a worldwide hit. Groening, Brooks, and writer-producer Sam Simon developed the show together.

Many characters in the show are named after real places or people. For example, Chief Wiggum is named after Groening's mother's maiden name. Other characters like Flanders and Lovejoy are named after streets in Groening's hometown of Portland, Oregon.

Groening has written or co-written several episodes of The Simpsons. He also co-wrote and produced The Simpsons Movie in 2007. He continues to work on The Simpsons as an executive producer.

Futurama Adventures

David X. Cohen and Groening at the Futurama panel of Comic-Con 2009

After researching science fiction, Groening teamed up with Simpsons writer David X. Cohen. In 1997, they created Futurama. This animated series is about a pizza delivery boy who wakes up in the year 3000. The show first aired on March 28, 1999.

Futurama ran for four years on Fox. It was then canceled. However, strong DVD sales and good ratings on Adult Swim brought the show back. Comedy Central aired new episodes starting in 2010. The show continued until 2013. In February 2022, Hulu announced that Futurama would return again in 2023.

Disenchantment Fantasy Series

On January 15, 2016, it was announced that Groening was working on a new animated series for Netflix. This series, called Disenchantment, was ordered by Netflix on July 25, 2017. Groening said the idea came from his sketchbook, which was full of "fantastic creatures." The show is a fantasy series. It premiered in August 2018. Disenchantment concluded with its fifth and final part on September 1, 2023.

Other Creative Pursuits

Groening in his studio, 1987

In 1993, Groening started Bongo Comics. This company publishes comic books based on The Simpsons and Futurama. They also publish some original comics. Groening's goal with Bongo Comics is to bring humor to the comic book market. He also formed Zongo Comics in 1995, which published comics for older readers.

Groening loves music. His favorite artist is Frank Zappa. He has even illustrated a cover for one of Zappa's albums. He also plays drums in a band called Rock Bottom Remainders. Other members of the band include famous writers like Stephen King.

Personal Life

Groening married Deborah Caplan in 1986. They had two sons, Homer (who goes by Will) and Abe. They divorced in 1999.

In 2011, Groening married Agustina Picasso, an artist from Argentina. He became a stepfather to her daughter. They have had several children together since then. Groening's brother-in-law is Craig Bartlett, who created the animated show Hey Arnold!.

Groening identifies as an agnostic.

Political Views

Groening has supported Democratic Party candidates and organizations. He has donated money to presidential campaigns for Al Gore and John Kerry. He also donated to various Senate campaigns.

In an interview, Groening said that if he were president, his first action would be to reform campaign finance. He believes that how campaigns are funded can harm democracy. He is also known for making jokes about former president Richard Nixon in his shows.

Film and Television Work

Film

Television

Video Games

Music Video

Theme Park

Awards and Recognition

Groening has been nominated for 41 Emmy Awards. He has won thirteen of them. Eleven are for The Simpsons and two for Futurama. He received the National Cartoonist Society Reuben Award in 2002. In 2004, he won a British Comedy Award for his "outstanding contribution to comedy."

In 2007, a British newspaper called The Daily Telegraph listed him as fourth in their "top 100 living geniuses." He received the Inkpot Award in 1988. On February 14, 2012, he received the 2,459th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

See also

In Spanish: Matt Groening para niños